Windows 8 apps get last minute updates as launch draws near

Rather than deal with complaints of bugs and issues that usually comes with an operating system’s initial launch, Microsoft has decided to be proactive. Though Windows 8 won’t launch until October 26, the technology giant is pushing out updates for the built-in apps.

According to a Microsoft blog post, over sixteen apps will get a tweaking that will do everything from increase performance speed to add in new functionality. Included in that list are SkyDrive, Mail, Calendar, People, Messaging, Photos, Maps, Bing, Finance, News, Sports, Travel, Weather, Music, Video, and Games.

The first of the apps to get its update was Bing. The update came Saturday and delivered richer local content, Bing rewards integration, zoom functionality on search results, and the ability to select an image in Bing to use in other apps. The biggest of the updates will come later and will continue to roll out until release day. Some of the more notable changes are the ability to crop and rotate in Photos, Bird’s Eye view in Maps, and new content partners including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal in News. All of the updates promise to better the Windows 8 experience. Of course, no one would have known that these functions were afterthoughts that weren’t initially available if Microsoft didn’t go and spill the beans about it. Either way, it looks like Windows 8 users will have a few less complaints on launch day later this month.